New Zealand, the first full-member nation to announce their T20 World Cup 2024 squad and one of the early exits from that category, has had a disappointing campaign. There has been a growing perception in recent years that regardless of their performance in bilateral series, the Black Caps always perform well in global events.
In the ongoing T20 World Cup, New Zealand has not followed this pattern. The Kiwi team, with minimal preparation, only arrived in the Caribbean at the end of May and first saw the pitch on June 7, the day they played their opening match against Afghanistan.
Unlike most teams, New Zealand also did not participate in any practice matches before the tournament, which would have been crucial preparation for the multi-nation event. While a few Kiwi players did gain T20 experience in IPL 2024 and against Pakistan, none except Trent Boult were regular starters for their IPL teams.
A significant point of concern is that Glenn Phillips, their top scorer against Afghanistan and West Indies, did not even feature in a match during IPL 2024. Devon Conway would have continued his form from IPL 2023 if not for his injury.
Williamson played in two matches, Mitchell Santner appeared in three, Lockie Ferguson played seven, and Matt Henry featured in four games. Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra had substantial game time with 13 and 10 appearances respectively, but struggled to maintain consistency or stable positions.
Interestingly, bowling has not been a major issue for New Zealand in this World Cup. However, their batting lineup, led by the composed Williamson and several proven match-winners, faltered in two lacklustre performances. The first almost led to their elimination, while the second underscored the necessity for change.
The belief that the Black Caps would automatically perform well in ICC events, especially under unfamiliar conditions, did not materialize as expected, which was somewhat unrealistic to anticipate.
New Zealand has had a poor show after their World Test Championship win
Since their World Test Championship win in 2021, New Zealand has faced calls for change due to setbacks in Tests and limited overs, including a long-standing home series defeat to Australia and World Cup disappointments.
As Mark Chapman, one of their younger players, turns 30 this month, Kane Williamson expressed both hope for New Zealand’s future and frustration over recent setbacks, as reported by ESPN Cricinfo: “There’s still guys that will be here for some time. We needed to have been better in these conditions specifically.”
”We knew that it was going to be a real scrap and it was not going to be easy but if you win some small moments, match-ups go your way, then that can be a defining element to your whole tournament. And it hasn’t happened for us, which is frustrating.”
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